Envelop-fastener.



IVI. VIERENGEL.

ENVELOP FASTENER. APPucATloN `HLED JAN. 8. 1915.

l 91835256 I Patented May 16, w16,

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THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

III

MATTI-IEW VIERENGEL, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ENVELOP-FASTENEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented llllay in, 191th Application filed January 8, 1915. Serial No. 1,147.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW VIEREN- GEL, a citizen of the United States, residing inthe borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelop-Fasteners, of which the following is a full and clear specification.

My invention relates to envelop fasteners and has for an object to improve the con struction of the same, with a view to cheapenin g their manufacture and enhancing their utility.

More particularly my invention comprises a fastener for envelops or the like, which can be cut from a continuous strip of suitable metal or material with a minimum waste of material and fastened to the body of the envelop, or the like, in a machine such as that described in my Patent No. 1,078,473, dated November 11th, 1913.

Certain other advantages and features `of construction resulting from my invention will be referred to in the following description. Y

By way of illustration I have shown my improved fastener as applied to the ordinary unsealed mailing envelop, but I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the use shown, as I contemplate the use of my fastener' for any purpose analogous to the one described.

In the drawings, Figures l and 2 are plan views of the fastener blank in successive stages of its preparation; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a later stage; Fie'. a is a plan View showing the fastener attached to the body of an envelop; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the fastener after the first ma.- nipulation of the fastening wings, and Fig. 6 is a plan view of an envelop, the fastener being in its final and useful position.

In manufacturing fasteners according to my invention I employ a roll or strip of bendable, substantially inelastic material, preferably brass, of suitable thickness. This strip is passed through a machine, such as that described, for example, in my patent referred to above. In Fig. 1 I have shown a fastener blank in the form it takes after the operation of cutting it from the strip. The width of the blank at this stage of manufacture is the same as the width of the roll or strip from which the blanks are cut and all of the material' of the blank shown in Fig.

l is employed in forming the finished fas-K tener. It will be seen, therefore, that the only waste of material occurs in rounding the ends of the blank. The formation of the blank into a fastener having a pair of prongs or wings 2, a pair of fastening spurs l and a body portion 3, is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. By means of a punch or other suitable in strumentality a pair of slits are cut in the blank. These cuts or slits, as shown, are V-shaped at their outer ends and starting at points near each end of the blank diverge toward the sides of the blank and proceed thence for a distance toward the body portion 3 in a direction substantially parallel withthe sides of the blank. rlChe spurs 1 are then bent into a position normal to the plane of the blank, in which position the fastener is ready to be attached to the body of an Y envelop.

In Fig. e is shown a portion of the envelop ldirectly beneath the flap (not shown), the fastening spurs l having been thrust through the envelop from the outside and turned back upon themselves to clamp the fastener securely to the envelop. In Fig. 5 I have shown the wings or prongs bent up into a position normal to the envelop in the usual manner, and in Fig. G the envelop l is shown closed with the wings or prongs 2 pressed flat against the 'flap 5 of the envelop.

In Figs. 8, 4, 5 and G it will be noted that the spurs l are bent down out of the plane of the blank at points appreciably distant from the inner terminations of the cuts or slits which form the spurs. In this way the area of contact between the fastener and en` velop is increased and a stronger purchase obtained by the fastener on the relatively fragile material of the envelop. rlhe wings or prongs on the other hand bend naturally when manipulated on the lines of their june ture with the body portion 3 in accordance with the well-known behavior of metals under like circumstances. I have found that the wings 2 always bend at the same point. Even after several manipulations the wings will retain their flatness and lie close to the flap of the envelop.

An important advantage results from bending the fastening spurs 1 on lines outside of the lines on which the wings 2 are bent for in this way, without sacrificing rm ness in the attachment of the fastener to the envelop, I am enabled to bring the wings 2 as close together as desired and thereby make possible the employment of a small perforation in the fiap of the envelop. I prefer to make this perforation square, as being the shape Which adapts itself most readily to a snug fit with the Wings 2.

It is an important consequence of my invention that I am enabled to form my fastener from a blank of material of smaller size and utilize a greater proportion of that material than has heretofore been possible.

It Will be understood that Where I use the Words substantially parallel in the claims it is intended to cover' any construction in which the V-shaped slits in the blank are continued in a longitudinal direction toward the center of the blank, whereby increased length is given to the clamping spurs.

I claim:

1. An envelop fastener comprising a strip of bendable, inelastic material,vsaid strip having a pair of oppositely presented incisions, said incisions starting near the ends of the strip midway between the lateral edges and diverging in V-shape toward the center and lateral edges of the strip and continued for a distance longitudinally and substantially parallel with the lateral edges of the strip, thereby forming a central body portion, a pair of y outer oppositely presented prongs and a pair of inner' oppositely presented members for securing said fastener to an envelop.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with an envelop having a body portion and a flap adapted to be folded upon the body portion, and a fastener for removably securing the free end of the Hap to the body portion of the envelop, said fastener comprising a strip of bendable substantially inelastic material, said strip having a pair of oppositely and longitudinally presented clamping spurs formed from the interior of the strip, the surrounding material being thereby converted into oppo# sitely presented clasp members, said spurs f being bent upon themselves about a portion of the body of said envelop, said clasp members being adapted to bend at points inside the points at Which the clamping spurs are bent and pass through the flap of the envelop, said spurs being bent back upon themselves at points -appreciably distant from their inner ends.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with an envelop having a body portion and a flap adapted to be folded upon the body portion, said iiap having a square perforation, and a fastener for removably securingthe free end of the flap to the body portion of the envelop, said fastener comprising a strip of bendable substantially inelastic material, said strip having a pair of oppositely and longitudinally presented clamping spurs formed from the interior of the strip, for clamping -tlie fastener to the body of the envelop,

the surrounding material being thereby converted into oppositely presented prongs adapted to bend at points inside the points at Which the clamping spurs are bent, and pass through the said perforation in the flap, said spurs being bent back upon themselves at points appreciably distant from their inner ends. Y y

y MATTHEW? VIERENGEL.

Vitnesses: Y

HARRY E. KNIGHT. IVM. AQCOURTLAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

